1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to disc storage devices and in particular to a compact disc media storage device with slots which automatically align the compact discs when they are inserted into the storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
One type of prior art compact disc storage device has a hollow, semi-cylindrical base and hinged lid. When the lid is in a closed position, the storage device has a cylindrical appearance. The base and lid each contain a plurality of thin, short, arcuate ribs which follow the contour of their inner surfaces. The ribs are parallel to one another, evenly spaced-apart and uniform in height. Each rib located in the base has a corresponding rib in the lid directly above it so that a shallow groove is defined between each adjacent pair of ribs both in the base and in the lid. Each groove is designed to hold a single compact disc.
A disc may be loaded into the storage device by selecting one of the grooves in the base and inserting the outer edge of the compact disc between the forward edges of the ribs of the selected groove. The disc is then rolled in a rearward direction or dropped into the shallow groove. The disc is closely received between the ribs of the groove along its circumference and is properly seated when it abuts the rearward side of the inner surface of the base in the selected groove.
One problem with this type of storage device is the misalignment or improper seating of discs in the grooves. During insertion, a disc may cross-thread into an adjacent groove or be prevented from aligning into a single groove by adjacent ribs at the rearward portion of the base. If a disc is misaligned when the lid of the storage device is moved to the closed position, the disc could be damaged. To avoid this problem, discs must be carefully inserted between and parallel to the ribs. If the angle of insertion of a disc is not close to parallel during the entire insertion process, the disc may tend to cross-thread more than one groove. Thus, an improved compact disk storage device is needed.
The compact disc storage device of the invention has a base and a hinged lid. The inner surfaces of the base and lid each contain short arcuate ribs. The ribs are parallel to and equally spaced-apart from one another. Each pair of adjacent ribs defines a shallow groove. Each rib in the base has a height which varies along its length. The upper edges of the ribs located near the front edge of the base are generally pointed. The upper edges of the ribs located near the rear edge of the base are generally blunt and shorter than the ribs near the front edge.
Prior to insertion of a compact disc, the lid is opened and a groove in the base is selected. The outer edge of the disc is placed on the forward edge of the groove between the two ribs which define the groove. The disc is then rolled rearward into the groove and closely received by the adjacent pair of ribs. The ribs cause the disc to align and seat in the groove without cross-threading into an adjacent groove. The lesser cross-sectional dimension of the ribs near the rear edge allows the disc to seat properly in the groove without hindering its alignment.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in view of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.